Yarn feed control system



Feb. 13, 1951 M. E. BLAKE 2,541,192

YARN FEED CONTROL SYSTEM Filed July 22, 1947 a Sheets-"Sheet 1 I N VEN TOR.

filo/1'0 E 510%5 ATTEI RNEYS Feb. 13, 1951 M. E. BLAKE I YARN FEED CONTRQL SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 22, 1947 INVENTOR. M270; .5 Bio/ a,

II II ATTD R N EYE Feb. 13, 1951 M. E. BLAKE YARN FEED CONTROL SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 22, 1947 INVENTOR. Marian E 5/0212,

ATTORNEYS;

Tatented Feb. 13, 1951 YARN FEED CONTROL SYSTEM Marion E. Blake, Fairhope, Ala., assignor of onehalf to William A. Blake, 'lloulminville, Ala.

Application July 22, 1947, Serial No. 762,603

5 Glaims.

The present invention relates generally to textile machinery, as for instance knitting machines, and more specifically to an improved yarn feed control system for such machines, involving means that compensates for gradual exhaustion of yarn passing from the bobbin, reel, or beam, as the yarn is fed therefrom to the knitting ma-- chine, and a positive control and measuring of v the amount of yarn that is fed into the machine for each of its cycles using said yarn.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of such a system involving electrical and mechanical parts that may with facility be manufactured at low cost of production, and assembled as an attachment for and operated by power from the knitting machine, to insure a positive and continuous measured feed of the yarn that is governed and regulated by means including a resiliently supported contact roll and control for the feeding mechanism, which roll and control so reduce the amount of work required for the roll to do in order to operate the control mechanism, that a minimum of slippage between the yarn and the contact roll occurs, and results in a more accurate measurement of the yarn being fed into the knitting machine.

The invention consists essentially in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts involving a variable speed power transmission mechanism from a 1'0- tary element of the machine to the beam or bobbin, which variable speed mechanisms speed variation is operated by a reversible rotar electric motor electrically controlled; and an electromechanical governing and regulating means which provides for measuring the yarn fed into the machine and compensating for the decrease in diameter of the yarn yet on the bobbin as the supply on the bobbin gradually diminishes. And the invention includes other combinations and arrangements of parts as will hereinafter be described, and more specifically set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of a physical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined and arranged in accord with a mode I have devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention. It will, however,

be understood that changes and alterations are contemplated, and may be made, as is evidenced by a modification disclosed in the drawings, in these exemplifying drawings and mechanical structures and electrical structures, within the scope of my claims, without departing from the principles of the invention.

Figure l is a view in elevation of an attachment embodying my invention showing a cam shaft of a knitting machine, as the power shaft, from which power is transmitted to the bobbin or beam of the knitting machine.

Figure 2 is a detail view of the commutator and brushes on the cam shaft of the knitting machine for operating the solenoids in the governing and regulating mechanism of the yarn measuring and compensating device.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view, partly in section, showing part of the resiliently supported beam, the contact roll, and the governing and regulating mechanism which measures the yarn fed into the machine, and compensates for the diminishing amount of yarn on the bobbin or beam.

Figure 3a is a view similar to Figure 3 but taken at a plane at right angles thereto.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the governing and regulating mechanisms, and measuring parts of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional View of a commutator element of Figure 3 for starting, stopping and reversing the electric motor of the variable speed unit.

Figure 6 is a similar View of another commu-= tator element of the governing, regulating, and measuring mechanism of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view showing the relation of the beam or bobbin, the contact roll, and the'governing, regulating, and measuring mechanism.

Figure 8 is a transverse vertical view of the motor driven gearing for the variable speed unit.

Figure 9 is a detail sectional view disclosing one of the commutators and brushes of the cam shaft for operating the solenoids of the governing, regulating and measuring mechanism.

Figure 10 is a diagram of the wiring for the electrical appliances of the attachment.

Figure 11 is a detail view showing a modified form of the commutator of the governing, regulating, and measuring mechanism for controlling the reversible electric motor.

In the general assembly view of Fig. 1., a cam shaft l of a typical knitting machine is rotated in usual manner and utilized as the source of power for supplying motion and power that are transmitted to a conventional bobbin or beam B.

r From this bobbin or beam the yarn or threads are fed to the knitting or other textile machine, and the present system is employed to power-feed the yarn in measured amounts per cycle, cycles, or portions of a cycle, of the machine, thus controlling the feed of the yarn from the bobbin or beam or" the machine.

The cam shaft i is journalecl in bearings, not shown, which may be on a frame F that sup ports the attachment as a whole. The cam shaft i has a sprocket wheel 3 which drives a sprocket chain 2 connected to a driven sprocket wheel 3 fastened to a shaft 5 journaled in bearings 55 on frame F. The shaft 5 is the operating shalt of a variable speed unit, and a longitudinally slidable friction wheel I is splined to rotate with the shaft and is guided thereon in its movement in longitudinal grooves 8 of the operating shaft.

The friction drive Wheel '1 is provided with a hub 9 slidable on the shaft 5, and the hub 9 is fashioned with an exterior annular groove in which a fork or yoke it engages, the fork or yoke being integral with a non-rotary travelling nut H threaded upon a screw bar l2 journaled in bearings l3, I3 of the frame F.

The screw bar I2 is journaled for forward or reverse rotation, and it is operated from a reversible motor M, suitably mounted in the attachment frame; and power from the motor is transmitted through its driving gear l4 and a driven gear l5 secured to the bar l2 whereby the yoke It is caused to slide the friction wheel I either to the right or to the left on the operating shaft 5.

The longitudinally slidable friction wheel I is constantly in frictional contact with a friction cone or wheel it having its shaft ll journaled in bearings l8, l8, and a drive gear [9 fixed on the shaft ll meshes with a gear 29 fixed to the bobbin shaft 2! for transmitting power to the bobbin B. The gears i9 and 2E, and the shafts I1 and 2| are mounted in an upright gear box 22 that is supported in suitable manner on the attachment frame F.

To regulate the feed of and to measure, the yarn fed from the bobbin to the knitting machine, I provide a contact roll or roller 23, which as indicated in Figs. 1 and 7 rests against the yarn on the bobbin or beam. The roller 23 is fixed on a commutator shaft 24, one end of which is journaled in a bearing 29 of a resiliently pressed beam or frame 25 pivoted on an axle 26 rigid with a portion of the gear box 22, and two springs 21, 27 constantly press the contact roll against the yarn of the bobbin. Shaft 24 is axially aligned with a shaft 28, Figure 3, both shafts being entirely independent and each has one end journaled to revolve inbearings 29 of an enclosing governor casing 3e having a removable cover plate 3!. The other end of shaft 28 is journaled in bearing 29 of frame 25.

Shaft 24 is utilized as a commutator shaft upon which is mounted an insulated rotary drum 32 having two exterior conductor rings 33 and 34 each provided with an electrical brush 35 or 36 mounted in the governor casing 36); and a wire from each of the brushes is included in the motor circuits that control the reversible motor M in a manner to appear.

As shown in the diagram of Fig. 10, the operating circuits for the motor M include a transformer T,'preferably of the iron core type, in connection with the main line wires, and the reversible motor M, which is'shunt wound as at M2, provided with an electro-magnetic reversing switch M3.

The commutator drum 32 is also provided with an enlarged segmental or interruptedring composed of metal segments 3'! and 31a separated by drum spaces 38, 39. As schematically shown in Fig. 10, the segments 37, 31a are electrically connected to the rings 34, 33, respectively. An angular brush 19, rigid with shaft 28, co-operates with these segments 3?, 31a in a manner to become apparent. When the brush All rides on the space 33, the motor M is de-energized; and as the brush 40 moves with the shaft 23 it may, depending upon whether the drum 32 is being fed at the correct rate of speed, become frictionally engaged with either segment 31, 37a and thus become electrically connected with one of the commutator rings 33 or 34, for direct or reverse operation of the motor M, through the motor circuits indicated in Fig. 10. In the wiring diagram it will be seen that segment 37 is connected to the commutator ring 35, and the segment 31a is electrically connected to the ring 33, so that the brushes 35 and 3B are constantly in electrical connection with the segments 31, 37a.

The shaft section 28 is provided with a ratchet wheel 4| which is operated step by step by means of a spring-pressed pawl 43, against the action of a spring-pressed detent 44. A spring-blade conductor or brush 25 secured to casing 36 and riding on the shaft 28 provides an external electrical connection for the brush it, see Fig. 10.

The pawl 43 intermittently imparts a step by step pull on the ratchet wheel 5 l for rotating the brush 40 on the segments 3? and Sid, and the pawl 43 is actuated by an electro-magnet, or double solenoid, l%4l that is mounted in an exterior casing 68 rigid with the casing 39. The electro-magnetic mechanism is mounted transversely of the ratchet wheel, and the solenoid 41 when energized projects the pawl 43 on an idle stroke, while solenoid it is de-energized; and solenoid d6 when energized pulls the pawl one step on its working stroke, while solenoid ll is de-energized.

Assuming the ratchet Wheel 4! is fashioned with one hundred teeth, the circumference of the contact roll or roller 23 is made to measure one hundred times the increment of yarn to be fed from the bobbin B to the knitting machine per revolution of the cam shaft, this arrangement of parts will measure the quantity of yarn feeding from a bobbin, or from a beam of bobbins.

The electrical controls for the double-acting solenoid are located on the cam shaft l of the knitting machine, where the commutator drum 49 of insulating material is fixed to revolve with the shaft, and the drum $9 is provided with a central annular conductor or ring 5%] engaged by a brush 5| that is electrically connected to one side of the main line. The drum 2-9 is also provided with end segments 52, Ed, each of which are slightly less than a semi-circle and are located diametrically opposite to each other as schematically shown in Fig. 10. Brushes 53 and 55 are adapted to engage these segments and are connected to one end of each solenoid 46 and 41, respectively, as indicated in the wiring diagram of Fig. 10.

In Fig. 11 a modified arrangement of the electrical control for the motor M is illustrated wherein a commutator drum 58 is mounted on shaft 24 and provided with three different peripheral or circumferential levels, a high level 51, an

intermediate level 58 as a cut-out for the motor, and a low level 59 extending half-way around the drum and merging with the high level.

A jack type of circuit maker and breaker 68, replacing brush it, is rigidly attached to shaft 28, and the jack includes three blades 35a, 35a, and 48a, for co-action with the commutator drum 56. The level 58 maintaining the blade 36a neutral while levels 5? and 59 swing the blade 35a into mechanism operated by power from the cam shaft I starts feeding yarn from the bobbin or beam B when the knitting machine is started, and contact roller 23 starts revolving in contact with the yarn of the bobbin. Due to the operation of the commutator on the cam shaft l the solenoids or electro-magnets 46, ll are alternately energized and ole-energized to rotate shaft 28 to advance the brush 4!). If and when the brush 4B occupies the neutral space 38 between segments 31, 31a the proper and predetermined feed of yarn is maintained; if and when the brush contacts segment 31a an electric circuit is closed between brush 35 and brush to the motor circuit for starting the motor M to adjust the friction wheel I along the cone IE to thereby increase the feed of yarn. If and when the brush 40 contacts segment 37, a reverse circuit is closed (and the preceding circuit is opened) for reversing the operation of the motor M to adjust the wheel I in a reverse direction, to attain a reduced speed in the feed of yarn to the machine from the bobbin.

The amount or quantity of feed of yarn from the bobbin is adjusted and regulated by changing the measure of the circumference of the contact roller or roll 23; increasing the circumference or diameter of the roll will increase the amount of the feed of yarn, and vice-versa.

The variable speed drive adjusted and regulated by means of the reversible electric motor serves to maintain a constant feed as measured by the roll or roller and the governing mechanism, and to adjust the feed of the yarn to compensate for change in diameter of the yarn remaining on the bobbin or beam, which diameter gradually decreases as the yarn is being exhausted.

Brush 40 will automatically be retained in gap 38 in the governing mechanism throughout the process of exhausting or using up a full bobbin or beam of yarn, thus insuring a constant powerfeeding of the yarn into the textile machine.

While I have shown a control system as an attachment for use with a single bobbin or beam, it will be understood that a control system may be installed with each of two or more bobbins or beams feeding yarn to a textile machine; and each system when installed and operated with a knitting machine, for instance, definitely predetermines the feed per stitch, and uniformly maintains this rate in feeding the yarn. Due to this accuracy in governing the feed of the yarn, and in regulating and measuring the amount of yarn fed, a wider flexibility and facility in producing and holding a desired design in a knitted product is assured, thereby materially enhancing the efficiency of the knitting machine.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an attachment for a textile machine having a rotary power shaft and a rotary bobbin having yarn thereon, the combination therewith of a driving means actuated by the shaft, variable speed mechanism operated by said driving means, reversible operating means for the variable speed mechanism, gearing connecting the variable speed mechanism with the bobbin, a contact roller, spring means for urging said roller into contact with the yarn on said bobbin, means controlled by said roller for regulating the feeding of yarn from said bobbin, and means operatively connecting said feed-regulating means with said reversible operating means.

2. In an attachment for a textile machine having a rotary power shaft and a rotary bobbin having yarn thereon, the combination therewith of a power transmission means between the shaft and the bobbin, a variable speed mechanism interposed in said transmission means, and a re versible electric motor for operating the variable speed mechanism, a contact roller, spring means for urging said roller into contact with the yarn on said bobbin, electrical controls for the motor operated by said shaft, electrically-controlled means controlled by the contact roller for regulating the feed of yarn from said bobbin, and electrical connections between the last mentioned means and said motor.

3. In an attachment for a textile machine hav- 1 said friction wheel, gear means connecting said cone-wheel with the bobbin, a yarn-measuring spring pressed contact roller coacting with the yarn on said bobbin, means controlled by the roller for regulating the feeding of yarn from said bobbin, and means operatively connecting the last-named means with said reversible operating means.

4. In an attachment for a textile machine having a rotary shaft and a rotary bobbin having yarn thereon, the combination therewith of a power-transmission means between the shaft and the bobbin including a variable speed mechanism, a reversible screw for operating said mechanism, a reversible electric motor for operating said screw, electrical controls for the motor actuated by the rotary shaft, a roller, springpressed means for urging said roller into contact with the yarn on said bobbin, means controlled by said roller for regulating the feed of yarn from said roller, electromagnetic means for operating r the last-named means, and electrical connections between the last-named means and the reversible motor.

5. In a yarn controlled feeding and measuring mechanism for a textile machine having a power shaft, and a rotary bobbin having yarn thereon the combination therewith of a power transmission-mechanism between the shaft and the bobbin, a contact roller, spring means for urging said roller into contact with the yarn on said bobbin, a rotary shaft for the roller, an axially alined ratchet shaft co-acting with the roller shaft, electro-magnetic means for intermittently rotating the ratchet shaft, a variable speed mechanism included in the power-transmission mechanism, a reversible electric motor for controlling said variable speed mechanism, electric control means for the motor actuated by the power shaft, and electrical connections between said electro-magnetic means and said reversible motor.

MARION E. BLAKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,334,058 Bassist Nov. 9, 1943 2,400,525 Amidon May 21, 1946 2,400,526 Amidon May 21, 1946 

